Lime cartridge for mining purposes.



H. L. STOREY & J. PARKINSON. LIME CARTRIDGE FOR MINING PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1913. 1 ,065,26 1

Patented June 17, 1913.

fi o Witnesses I ww akmgu, 1 Gm COLUMBIA I'LANOGRAPH cu., WASHINGTON. 0.1

UNTTED ETATES PATENT ()FEIQE.

HERBERT LUSI-IINGTON STOREY AND JOSEPH PARKINSON, OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

LIME CARTRIDGE FOR MINING PURPOSES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERBERT LUSI-IING: TON STOREY, gentleman, and Josnrrr PAR- KINSON, electrical engineer, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, both residing in Lancaster, England, and whose post-oflice addresses are, respectively, Bailrigg, Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster, England, and Meadowside, Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster, England, have jointly invented a certain new and useful Improved Lime Cartridge for Mining Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

It has frequently been attempted to apply the expansion which accompanies the slaking of quicklime for the disruption of rocks or coal. For example a cartridge made of compressed quicklime has been inserted in the bore hole in the coal or the like, together with a tube; the bore hole has been suitably tamped and water has been pumped through the tube past a check valve therein. The expansion of the lime being slaked by the water, aided to some extent by the steam produced, has split the rock or coal. The obvious advantage obtained by the use of such cartridges is that there are no deleterious gases produced, such as are evolved by the firing of an explosive and that there is no danger of igniting fire damp in a fiery mine. Nevertheless such cartridges have not come into general use because they are not sufficiently certain in their action. The slaking of the lime, even when the cartridge is drilled or otherwise fashioned to permit a rapid access of the water to all parts thereof, is too slow an operation to give a high disruptive effect due to the expansion of the lime and inasmuch as the bore hole is never tight, the steam produced never attains a pressure high enough to cause disruption. So that it is only in cases in which comparatively low disruptive effect suflices that such cartridges can be used.

According to the present invention the slaking of quicklime is applied for the purpose in question by so confining the quick lime that the steam generated by the slaking bursts the containing vessel, thus producing a sudden explosion which has far higher disruptive effect than that produced by the expansion of the lime being slaked. For this purpose the quicklime is charged into the space between a hermetically closed Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 27, 1913.

Patented June 1'7, 1913.

Serial No. 757,142.

outer metal tube, capable of withstanding a high pressure, and an inner perforated pipe through which water can be forced.

The outer tube has walls thick enough to withstand a pressure of say 2000 lbs. per square inch or more. It is of approximately the same external diameter as the internal diameter of the bore hole but is of such a length that when inserted into the hole a space two or three inches long remains. at the closed end of the hole. Into this tube there is inserted axially the perforated pipe which is suitably held in position, while the quicklime, preferably granulated to pieces the size of a pea, is filled into the tube. The space between the open end of the tube and the pipe is then hermetically sealed; the charged metal tube is inserted into the bore hole and the latter is tamped around the pipe. lVithin the pipe is a check valve past which water, preferably hot, is forced into the cartridge. The steam generated by the slaking of the lime, aided to some extent by the expansion of the lime being slaked, ruptures the tube, thus causing an explosion which may be compared with a boiler explosion and disrupting the rock or coal.

The accompanying drawing is an axial section through the lime cartridge.

a is the tube, I) the perforated pipe, 0 the lime granules.

(Z is a perforated screw block through which the pipe passes, the passage around the pipe being closed by a gland c.

Having now described the nature of our said invention, and the best means we know of carrying the same into practical effect, we claim A lime cartridge for mining purposes, comprising a hermetically closed outer tube capable of withstanding a high pressure, an inner perforated pipe extending into the said tube, quicklime filling the space between the said tube and the said pipe and means for hermetically closing the tube around the said pipe.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT LUSHINGTON STOREY. JOSEPH PARKINSON.

itnesses JAMns HARRISON SHEPHERD, CHARLES BERRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

